Pottery and Piri-Piri in the Algarve

it
is the hot chicken Piri-Piri cooking over an open-air charcoal
grill and scenting the air with its spicy aroma that leaves the
strongest after-taste of Portugal's most famous holiday area:
the Algarve

The view of distant winding roads weaving a path through
fertile land is breath-taking, the midday sun insistently makes its
presence felt through protective clothing and cream, but it is the hot
chicken Piri-Piri cooking over an open-air charcoal grill and scenting
the air with its spicy aroma that leaves the strongest after-taste of
Portugal's most famous holiday area: the Algarve.

Stretching along the southern coast of this friendly
country, the Algarve is skirted by the Atlantic Ocean on the south and
west and protected from strong winds by the mountains to the north.
However, a pleasant breeze at the coast means the heat is less uncomfortable
than in most Mediterranean areas, even in the height of summer. It is
a good year round destination, although the warmest months are generally
June to September.

The
area is justly famous for its golf and offers a veritable paradise of
courses, from the basic to the luxurious, but the western end of the
Algarve is also an area of unspoiled beauty and charm that rewards any
visitor who ventures further than the more touristy resorts, like Albufeira,
near Faro airport. Travel west along the major motorway from the airport
and discover the small fishing villages and pretty towns along the coast.

Based
at apartments at Jardim DoVau, between Praia da Rocha and Alvor, it
was one of the last family holidays my husband and I had with our two
teenage children, before university life intervened. We quickly fell
in love with the charming little fishing village of Alvor, which is
typical of the area with its narrow streets, friendly restaurants and
harbour-side cafés that come alive in the balmy evenings.

Praia da Rocha, on the other hand, has one of the best
beaches in Portugal but is becoming too busy and over developed so we
gave it a miss after the first visit.

From
Alvor, there is a wonderful drive up into the hills to reach Caldas
de Monchique, an Edwardian spa town set 820 feet above sea level, with
a tree-lined square and good cafés and restaurants. This was
where we enjoyed the best chicken Piri-Piri ever at a table in the open-air
overlooking miles of steep terraced gardens that seemed to blend into
the unfolding countryside.

Back on the coast, just a few miles west of Alvor, is
the lovely tourist town of Lagos (pronounced 'Lahgoosh'), one of the
earliest settlements on the coast where Prince Henry (the Navigator)
built his ships many centuries ago. Although this is the busiest town
of that area it still has a friendliness and charm enhanced by the many
cafés, restaurants, banks and shops. The cobbled streets often
play host to street performers, while just across the main road there
is a wide promenade for long leisurely walks, a mediocre beach offering
a range of water sports and a Marina. This is the departure point for
the many boat trips waiting to take visitors to the grottoes at Ponta
de Piedade: good for watching seabirds.

Even further along the coast is Sagres, with its fort
and cultural heritage, where Prince Henry once lived and where Christopher
Columbus learned his sea skills. Standing on the point it is easy to
imagine the Portuguese navigators who set off from here on their voyages
of discovery.

The Algarve is relatively inexpensive and its people are
friendly, independent and proud of their seafaring past; there is a
long history of friendship between the British Isles and Portugal, reaching
back six hundred years. English is usually spoken in all restaurants
and, as the Portuguese are very family oriented, the cafés and
restaurants are always child friendly. With most seating in the open-air,
it is a relaxing and casual holiday destination. As well as chicken,
beef, pork and lamb, one of the best choices for meals is the huge range
of freshly caught fish and seafood. Sardines is a popular any-time snack
found all along the coast, brushed with brine for a crisp and salty
coating then cooked on the open-air charcoal grill.

For
those in search of more tangible memories of the Algarve, the pottery
is exquisite and plentiful; even the most reluctant shopper is usually
captivated by the row upon row of brightly painted coloured terracotta
bowls, pastel shaded cups and jugs and pottery of every shape, pattern
and persuasion.

Most small towns and villages of the Algarve have plenty of local crafts
to buy, including hand-made lace, matgrass baskets and ceramics, and
it is well worth taking home some fruit bowls or jugs as they are hard-wearing
as well as pretty and useful.

One souvenir that can be seen all over Portugal is the
colourful, painted cockerel called 'o galo de Barcelos', which has become
something of an unofficial national symbol. The popular myth surrounding
the cockerel concerns a condemned prisoner trying to convince everyone
of his innocence on the way to his hanging. When allowed a final audience
with the judge, who was at dinner, he said "If I am innocent, the
roasted cock on your plate will crow." According to legend it did,
and so the symbol was born. (So, perhaps, was a cunning ventriloquist.)

Another special feature of the area is the extensive use
of decorative tiles on the outside of houses and buildings; these are
called 'Azulejos': an art form that survives from the 15th century.
The whole area is greatly influenced by Moorish designs, a throw-back
to the 8th century when the Moors invaded the province; the name Algarve
actually comes from the name 'El Gharb', meaning 'west', as it was the
most westerly outpost of the Arab Empire.

The Algarve appeals to all tastes, offering golf, water
sports, tranquil fishing villages with painted boats, sunbathing on
sandy beaches and sheltered bays. Above all, its relaxing and friendly
ambience makes it an ideal holiday destination and I guarantee that
the spicy aroma and taste of freshly cooked piri-piri chicken will mingle
with the memories long after the return home.

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